Upcoming Low-Cost iPhone Again Rumored to Be Priced at $399

[jpn]

Not everyone wants a huge phone and not everyone wants to spend $700+. I fit in the first category and will be getting one, but then would also get the 5.4" in September if it ends up being even smaller.

i am thinking similarly.
but then again, since its looking like the September release 5.4" model still has notch, my new plan is adjusted to:
- buy the 2020 March iPhone 9
- then wait till 2021 September and buy an in/under display Touch ID smallest model

 

[Think creative]

Depending on what the smaller iPhone 12 brings, the 128 version of this may well be my next phone this fall. We'll just have to see price difference and camera difference (I want night mode).

 

[CWallace]

I don't know about this. iPhone is as much of a status symbol as it is a phone. This has same basic design as the iPhone 6 from 6 years ago so it's not that sexy, I feel like it doesn't have the same appeal as SE had.

The SE's main appeal was you got the compete performance of an iPhone 6s for a much lower price with a secondary appeal being it was smaller than the new Flagships phones.

The main appeal for this "SE2" will be the same - you get the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11 at a significantly lower price.

It’ll probably be 750 x 1334 just like the iPhone 6.
We know how Apple likes to reuse spare parts from older models.

Yes it will be the same Retina display as the iPhone 8 uses. As PickUrPoison noted, leveraging the existing component stores and production facilities is how Apple can keep the price "low" while still hitting their desired margins. They did the exact same with the SE, which leveraged most of the components and production facilities of the iPhone 5s.

 

[leovilma]

I've experienced going from iPhone 5s to SE and also from 7 to 11 Pro. I feel like the jump in performance was noticeably greater going from 5S to SE. Also subjectively SE was a sexier phone, iPhone 6's design has been used for a long period of time and market is flooded with it. There will be a lot of iPhone 7's and 8's for dirt cheap and they deliver the performance budget phone buyer needs.

In my opinion they should have come up with a new dedicated design for iPhone "SE2".

The SE's main appeal was you got the compete performance of an iPhone 6s for a much lower price with a secondary appeal being it was smaller than the new Flagships phones.

The main appeal for this "SE2" will be the same - you get the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11 at a significantly lower price.

Heh, what a spirited response.

I didn't give any advice. I posted how I felt about the phone. Your post is full of assumptions and really hard to make sense of. My advice to you is just to relax and post when you have a cool head.

This is the most garbage “advice” I’ve ever read!
Ummm... a used phone from 4 years ago (WELL out of warranty, & obviously w/ no support, as it is 2nd hand) will serve people just as well as a brand new one?
In a pig’s eye, is that true.
The people that want to be a part of Apple’s ecosystem, use high quality apps, etc., but don’t necessarily have the same (apparent) attachment as you do to the imagined prestige you posses and sense of marvel that strangers must get whenever they see you check a text on your current year Apple flagship- are the same type of people that would try to get 4-6 years out of their phone... by recommending they start out with a phone that’s already 4 years old, you’re suggesting that an iPhone should be used for a full decade. That’s ludicrous.

Btw, this is 2020... not 2010- nobody has judged one’s status on whether they have this year’s phone or not for a good long while.

 

[arvinsim]

If true, this would be one of the best selling iPhones ever.

 

[EightyTwenty]

That has to be the ugliest render of an iPhone I've ever seen.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

...If someone is using the iPhone as a status symbol these days, that's pretty sad. I thought millennials had figured that out.

Status is a human instinct. Those with the highest status win the best breeding partners. Call it sad all you like. Once you realise that "it just is", then you will have peace on this subject.
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Yeah, when will Mercedes make cars with round headlights again? When are they going to realize not everyone wants cars with these amorphous slithers as headlights? We also want a handbrake between the front seats.

I wouldn't mind having the handbrake lever back TBH. Handbrakies are just not the same with only a digital on/off switch.

 

[B4U]

Make it 4 inch at that price would make more profit, right?

 

[windowsblowsass]

At least the G8 runs close to stock android and not the abomination on Samsung’s or LGs

 

[MacBH928]

There is a huge market for a cheaper phone, and maybe not everyone wants a huge screen.iOS is a standard and not everyone want to pay the $1000 tag which mostly is for high tech gadget stuff the average user will never use.

Its funny how the iphone went the opposite of the iPod, where the iPod turned smaller until it was with no screen and the iPhone turned bigger until it became a "phablet".

 

[CWallace]

I didn't give any advice. I posted how I felt about the phone. Your post is full of assumptions and really hard to make sense of. My advice to you is just to relax and post when you have a cool head.

"Physician, heal thyself."

 

[realtuner]

Hope it doesn't come with an embarrassing near 720p display considering the upcoming $249 Moto G8 Power has 6.4" FHD+, 4GB/64GB, 5000mAh battery, mask friendly fingerprint authentication, etc.

That phone has a middling Snapdragon 665, a processor that gets absolutely destroyed by the A13. For regular tasks it’s ok, but it lags when doing anything that requires a bit of performance (watching videos, starting the camera, playing games). It’s already slow on day one let alone having the ability to run future OS upgrades or newer Apps/Games. Not that it’ll actually get any OS updates beyond the first year.

The A13 will still be fast for years, which matters because the iPhone SE2 will actually get 4+ years of iOS updates. What good is a cheap phone if it’s not future proof? They should be charging even less considering the limited lifespan of the G8 vs any model iPhone.

Whining about screen resolution? You do realize this is a compact phone, right? It would be a waste have a FHD resolution on a small screen. All it does is waste power without offering any visual benefit. Besides, iPhone screens have been fully calibrated for years while Android is still playing catch-up with color management. I’ll take a color accurate screen over a higher pixel, but lower quality screen.

All this is before you take into account the G8 runs Android, which immediately gives you less privacy, less security and an inferior ecosystem/App Store.

The SE2 is a bargain if it comes in at $399 and gives you the A13 and one good camera.

 

[fairuz]

I don't know about this. iPhone is as much of a status symbol as it is a phone. This has same basic design as the iPhone 6 from 6 years ago so it's not that sexy, I feel like it doesn't have the same appeal as SE had. This seems to be more of utilitarian tool for elementary school children and people who "need" Apple phone but don't care for status. These people could also buy second hand iPhone 7 for ~100-150$ and it would serve them just as well.

I want SE2 but I wont rush to buy this, I guess I'll wait and hope 5.4" iPhone 12 gets released.

Maybe people like iPhones not because they're status symbols but because they work well. They're hard to tell apart from Android copycats anyway. Some Pixel phones look identical to the X. Also hard to tell a new iPhone apart from an old one. People think my 6 is an 8 at least.
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Yeah, when will Mercedes make cars with round headlights again? When are they going to realize not everyone wants cars with these amorphous slithers as headlights? We also want a handbrake between the front seats.

Mercedes makes the A series exactly for people who don't want to spend as much.

 

[Mr. Donahue]

I’ll definitely upgrade to this from my budget iPhone XR.
i hate face ID and the crappy 720 screen.

 

[CJC1981]

This would be great for my family. I am unsure how big the medical use committing is, two of our kids use Dexcoms G6's to manager their blood sugar. It is a continuous blood glucose monitoring system that syncs to an iPhone and then is uploaded to the cloud, which will alert several others if there is a low bloodsugar. It is a live saving device. The software is only available for iPhones. It would be nice to be able to buy a cheap, new iPhone for these. Right now we use refurbished devices, but the battery time is questionable.

 

[leovilma]

Maybe people like iPhones not because they're status symbols but because they work well. They're hard to tell apart from Android copycats anyway. Some Pixel phones look identical to the X. Also hard to tell a new iPhone apart from an old one. People think my 6 is an 8 at least.

I'm sure people like iPhone because they work well, I like iPhones because they work well. I just played with 180$ XIAOMI that worked very well. There are few people who I have met who can rationalize why they purchased iPhone over alternatives half as expensive.

That said I'd bet my money that more iPhones have been sold because of the Apple brand than anything else. It's "affordable" luxury to average 1st world consumer. People fail to realise that there is a whole wide world outside of their suburbs that still covets the logo. Just an educated guess from someone who travels a lot, also in developing countries: globally to more people than not the latest iPhone is a status symbol = money = power = security. There is a reason why everyone doesn't just drive a Toyota. There is a reason why almost every Android phone imitates iPhone.

"People think my 6 is an 8 at least."

Exactly my point: iPhone SE2 = iPhone 6 = no money = no power. Not to mention boring, not sexy, not exciting.

 

[Mr. Donahue]

And

Touch ID doesn’t work with ski gloves. No perfect biometric authentication method.

and face ID doesnt work with a ski mask. Whats your point? Who uses a phone while wearing any kind of glove? It just isn’t convenient at all. Its all preference. I dont like face ID mainly because i dont like the notch. Its ugly as sin and im still shocked they went with it.
Maybe if they figure out a way to get rid of that notch I’d be all for it. I also miss holding down the sleep wake button to power off.
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Exactly my point: iPhone SE2 = iPhone 6 = no money = no power. Not to mention boring, not sexy, not exciting.

hahahaha holy hindu cow! Thats the most ridiculous thing ive ever read. You’re funny. The real rich and powerful dont even own a phone. Think about that. I’ve never found a single woman more sexually attractive by what cellphone or purse she was using. You must be so delusional. This must be sarcasm/satire/ just a joke right?
tell me you’re joking im gonna die lmao

 

[Abazigal]

I don't know about this. iPhone is as much of a status symbol as it is a phone. This has same basic design as the iPhone 6 from 6 years ago so it's not that sexy, I feel like it doesn't have the same appeal as SE had. This seems to be more of utilitarian tool for elementary school children and people who "need" Apple phone but don't care for status. These people could also buy second hand iPhone 7 for ~100-150$ and it would serve them just as well.

I want SE2 but I wont rush to buy this, I guess I'll wait and hope 5.4" iPhone 12 gets released.

Which I feel is fine. What Apple seems to have learnt from the whole 5C saga is that if people can't get the latest iPhone, the next best thing is to settle for what was once the best. In short, between the 5c and the 5, people would rather get the iPhone 5 because it was once the "best iPhone", rather than the 5c which basically telegraphed to everyone that you were using a cheaper iPhone. Even if both were the same spec-wise.

Part of me wonders if there are still some users holding onto their older iPhones because they genuinely prefer the home button and this might be Apple's way of reaching out to them with an updated product?

Another explanation would be that this cheaper iPhone is meant to be manufactured in India for the Indian market (to avoid taxes, and appeal to a more budget-conscious crowd)?

 

[speechmaker]

Make it 4 inch at that price would make more profit, right?

Depends.
The production cost for a smaller phone will rise significantly. Sounds counterintuitive at first but is logical. Then it depends on how well it sells.
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Which I feel is fine. What Apple seems to have learnt from the whole 5C saga is that if people can't get the latest iPhone, the next best thing is to settle for what was once the best. In short, between the 5c and the 5, people would rather get the iPhone 5 because it was once the "best iPhone", rather than the 5c which basically telegraphed to everyone that you were using a cheaper iPhone. Even if both were the same spec-wise.

Part of me wonders if there are still some users holding onto their older iPhones because they genuinely prefer the home button and this might be Apple's way of reaching out to them with an updated product?

Another explanation would be that this cheaper iPhone is meant to be manufactured in India for the Indian market (to avoid taxes, and appeal to a more budget-conscious crowd)?

I am among the ones who prefer the Home button.
And Apple have announced already that making the iPhones in India won't mean they price it lower in India. They are not going to pass the tax benefits on, probably to maintain some sort of 'premiumness'.

 

[I7guy]

And

and face ID doesnt work with a ski mask. Whats your point? Who uses a phone while wearing any kind of glove? It just isn’t convenient at all. Its all preference. I dont like face ID mainly because i dont like the notch. Its ugly as sin and im still shocked they went with it.
Maybe if they figure out a way to get rid of that notch I’d be all for it. I also miss holding down the sleep wake button to power off...

Point is, in reply to the OP I quoted, is someone can always come up with some type of use case where a biometric doesn’t suit that use case.

As far as the notch that ship has sailed.
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I'm sure people like iPhone because they work well, I like iPhones because they work well. I just played with 180$ XIAOMI that worked very well. There are few people who I have met who can rationalize why they purchased iPhone over alternatives half as expensive.

Maybe people like the whole ecosystem thing around the iPhone.

That said I'd bet my money that more iPhones have been sold because of the Apple brand than anything else. It's "affordable" luxury to average 1st world consumer. People fail to realise that there is a whole wide world outside of their suburbs that still covets the logo. Just an educated guess from someone who travels a lot, also in developing countries: globally to more people than not the latest iPhone is a status symbol = money = power = security. There is a reason why everyone doesn't just drive a Toyota. There is a reason why almost every Android phone imitates iPhone.

"People think my 6 is an 8 at least."

Exactly my point: iPhone SE2 = iPhone 6 = no money = no power. Not to mention boring, not sexy, not exciting.

Maybe people like the Apple branding logo because it conveys quality, reliability, ecosystem, support etc. The logo means something more than the hard $$$ for purchase of the hardware itself.

Status is something that can’t be given only taken.

 

[Shanpdx]

mostly likely A12 (like iPad Mini) NOT A13, if no one said it here before.

$399 - 64GB
$449 - 128GB

iPhone XR new price $549, $599

 

[drzen]

I’m fairly confident the new model pricing tiers with this budget iPhone are a decision driven by Apple opening retail stores in India starting 2020. They can’t compete with the flood of cheap Chinese smartphones that dominate the Indian market unless they rethink their strategy for that market.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

This will/would be such a fantastic device. All the processing power of the iPhone 11 Pro, but at 40% the cost (and <60% the cost of the 11)? Everything else (display, camera) will be "good enough" for most. Honestly, for the next 6 months this device would likely be my "default" iPhone recommendation.

If only they could add the headphone jack back in (pipe dream I know) this would be the perfect device for so many people. I'll probably buy one for my mom to replace her iPhone 6, regardless, but for her (and many others) it is still sad to see the headphone jack gone.

A 4" iPhone is a much bigger long shot (IMO) than a phone getting the headphone jack back. The market has moved to larger phones and apps are designed for larger displays.
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mostly likely A12 (like iPad Mini) NOT A13, if no one said it here before.

While this is plausible, I really hope not. And the precedent (iPhone SE) shows that Apple is willing to put their top of the line processor in the "budget" model. Plus, similarly to the SE, if they put the latest processor in it, it'll be much easier to sell at the bottom of the line for 3 years.

 

[Burebista]

$399 is for the fortunate Americans though. We in the “rest of the world” will start with something around $549 for same base model, and get the 399 price point in about 1,5-2 years after release.

 

[currentinterest]

So when fall rolls around the line up will likely be
iPhone 9 (?) $399 A13 64 GB LTE LCD
iPhone XR $499 A12 64 GB LTE LCD
iPhone 11 $599 A13 64 GB LTE LCD
iPhone 12, 5.4 inch $699 A14 64 GB 5G OLED
iPhone 12, 6.1 inch $799 A14 64 GB 5G OLED
iPhone 12 Pro, 6.1 inch $999 A14 128 GB 5G OLED ToF camera
iPhone 12 Pro Max, 6.7 inch $1099 A14 128 GB 5G OLED ToF camera

This looks to have something for everyone at a range of great price points. Perhaps Apple will drop the iPhone XR and jump from the $399 iPhone 9 to the $599 iPhone 11, but I doubt it.